BURNABY, B.C. – Michael Hennessy and the SFU Red Leafs (8-2-2, 5-0-1 GNAC) kept their unbeaten streak going in spectacular fashion Thursday in Lacey, Washington. Hennessy, a rookie forward from Vancouver, scored five goals for Canada's NCAA team as it defeated Saint Martin's 7-1 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game on Saints Field.

SFU has now scored 21 goals in its previous five games, all victories. The team is unbeaten in eight matches, and remains tied with Western Oregon atop the conference standings with 16 points. The Red Leafs have played one fewer match, and own the season series vs. the Wolves.

Hennessy's performance Thursday established a new GNAC standard for goals (five) and points (10) in a men's soccer conference game.

His five goals tied the SFU men's record for most in an NCAA-era game, matching the feat achieved by current Red Leafs women's soccer interim head coach Carlo Basso against Thompson Rivers on Aug. 31, 2012.

It is one off the overall SFU and GNAC records for goals in a game. Alex Hanne scored six at Menlo (California) in 2009, while Rob Cirjak potted a half-dozen against Post (Connecticut) at the 1988 NAIA Men's Soccer Championship. That remains the NAIA record for most goals in a national tournament contest. The GNAC record is held by Samir Vejo of Western Washington vs. Colorado Christian on Oct. 1, 2008.

Vejo, Basso and Hennessy are the only three GNAC players to score at least five times in a men's match. Hennessy is the lone man to do it in a conference contest.

"This was a great game and a huge win," remarked Hennessy, who has scored 10 times in 2023, and is ranked second in the conference and in NCAA Division II in goals by rookie. "The team played very well and we were excellent in transition. That's why we scored plenty of goals. It is always a great feeling to score goals, so putting five in is amazing as is tying a record held by an outstanding player in Carlo Basso. However, as a team, we have to keep going and get big results to achieve our goals."

SFU was up 3-0 after 28 minutes, thanks to a pair of Hennessy tallies – in the 20th and 22nd minutes – to open the scoring, before senior forward Devin O'Hea (North Vancouver, B.C.) stretched the gap to 3-0 in the 28th.

The Red Leafs conceded an own goal nine minutes later but still led 3-1 at the mid-game break.
 

Hennessy found the net again three more times in the second half and led 6-0 just past the hour mark. Freshman Ryan Torresan (North Vancouver, B.C.) scored in the 88th for his first NCAA goal.

On Hennessy's opener, O'Hea forced a turnover by SMU goalkeeper Nick Mueller, who sent a hurried pass up the middle in the penalty area. Hennessy stepped in front of his defender to intercept the ball and scored low left from inside the 6-yard box.

In the 22nd minute, Hennessy got a pass from O'Hea on the right side of the area. From there, he fired a low shot through his defender's legs, off the left goalpost and in to make it 2-0.

Just six minutes later inside a crowded 6-yard box with at least a half-dozen players, O'Hea headed home a corner kick for his sixth goal of the campaign.

Hennessy completed his hat trick in the 52nd, controlling a bouncing cross before knocking the ball in at the right post. His fourth goal came on the counterattack in the 56th. The Red Leafs caused a turnover deep in the Saints' end and the ball was moved to O'Hea, who quickly crossed it from the right side of 18-yard box to an open Hennessy at the goalmouth. Hennessy knocked the ball back across towards the right post and into the net.

He capped off his day in the 61st minute. Senior midfielder Ali Zohar (Surrey, B.C.) intercepted an SMU pass and sent a long ball towards the opposing net. Hennessy ran on to the ball at the top right corner of the penalty area, moved in, and scored inside the right post. He was substituted off after recording five goals on five shots on net in just 52 minutes of play.

The milestones kept coming. As Torresan earned his first goal at the university level, in the 88th. Junior defender Nicolai Placzek sent a deep pass into the SMU box, Torresan got to the bouncing ball first and knocked it past a charging Saints goalkeeper.

SFU outshot the home team 28-7, with the shots on net 13-2 in favour of the Red Leafs. The Saints fell to 3-6-2 on the season and 1-4-1 in GNAC play.

The Red Leafs' seven goals were the most in a game since an 8-0 shutout of Mary (North Dakota) in Burnaby, B.C., on Aug. 31, 2017.

SFU will bring its high-scoring act home to Burnaby on Saturday, when it hosts Montana State Billings Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-mens-soccer-vs-montana-state-university-billings-tickets-677058900397

For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.

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